I would hope one of the best illusions in the world would make me care. At best you have a puzzle - where is the girl hiding? Sadly, because of the design of the illusion, there is one obvious and perfectly viable solution.

You say she's not there. I say - it doesnt matter. If the audience believes she's there, there is no mystery. And the only way you can dispel them of their theory is to show them how it actually works. But as you fail to make us care, most will be fine shrugging their shoulders and living with the belief that explains things most simply.

I'm fond of quoting Regina Reynolds (if you don't know the association of the name Reynolds to illusions then you have no business calling yourself an illusionist let alone an illusion designer). Upon seeing an illusion she always asked: what happened, who cares and how else?

We have addrssed two of her three questions. The third is also an issue here - what is the effect? You squish her, you vanish her, you squish her and then put blades through her? That seems rather silly doesn't it? I mean, she's squished. What's the point of the blades except to add more of a puzzle element - 'no, she's not here!'

It doesn't contribute to the drama. It only makes it more of a puzzle. Why are you squishing her? Or are you making her disappear? Once squished - how do the blades enhance the effect of squishing? They don't - as designed. They serve merely as an element in your 'which hand is she in' game. Smart people will point under the illusion. That's your fault, not theirs.

Finally, the black paint job without any detailing will cause the prop to become lost on many stages. There should be some trim, smartly applied, that allow the prop to be seen. Use black to allow parts of the prop to get lost against the backdrop and appear thinner.

The Sumer reloaded is Mr. Saman Zerin's illusion, not mine.
The power of the illusion is in the simple black and antique silver design.
This is a complex illusion.
Compression - blades - cutting - three section - breaking.
There are only few illusions which have so many phases like the Sumer.
Every phase is an interesting story.
Those who have eyes can see that the Sumer is a perfect illusion.

The moment the shade is removed the tower appears to be all black. On a stage - especially with a black curtain which Many have - the Prop becomes invisible. Even in the video it is hard to see what is supposed to be happening.

It's a bad design.

And yes, the illusion is complex. But what you fail to understand is that does NOT make it good. It makes it confusing at best or a tedious puzzle. You exclaim that few illusions are this complex. Have you considered there may be good reason for that?

Neither you nor your illusion designing friend have any understanding of drama or design.

Thank you for trying to use this forum to sell your friends prop.

As you can see, we are not interested. We have told you why. You disagree.

The outsiders see a professional illusion,
and read some comments which are totally different
from what they see in the promo video.
The professional performers know that this is a good illusion
in every point.
You can see good only with your heart.

Sorry, but I feel like I have jumped between sharks,who see only the meat, and not the man.:)

Best, Nimrud

No need to apologize. You are just a guy being paid to shill a bad product.

However we do see the man, and the bad illusion, the shadow, the fact it won't work on a stage because it's black, the fact it is illogical and confusing, the fact it makes no sense, the fact there is no drama and little thought and the really cheesy editing.

I did not say to anyone to buy the illusion.
Those who like will buy the Sumer illusion.
I recommended it with respect and honestly
as a new and perfect illusion.
I am sorry that you can see only the "shadow".
These kind of illusions should be appreciated and not attacked.

Then the world would be flooded with tasteless magicians performing dull, non deceptive, overly complicated, illusions that can't be descerned from the background against which they are presented.

Wait -

Allow me to revise - then the world would be flooded with EVEN MORE tasteless magicians performing dull, non deceptive, overly complicated, illusions that can't be descerned from the background against which they are presented.

An interesting fact about the Sumer illusion.
The Sumer illusion is the only illusion in the World
/in the "illusions with one assistant" category/
which has 4 different phases.
Compression, Cutting, Break, Lifting.

An interesting fact about the Sumer illusion.The Sumer illusion is the only illusion in the World/in the "illusions with one assistant" category/ which has 4 different phases.Compression, Cutting, Break, Lifting.

Best, Nimrud

It is also the only one you won't be able to see properly on a stage, the only one with an obvious shadow, the only one that is really confusing and the only one that is really obvious.

An interesting fact about the Sumer illusion.The Sumer illusion is the only illusion in the World/in the "illusions with one assistant" category/ which has 4 different phases.Compression, Cutting, Break, Lifting.

Best, Nimrud

It is also the only one you won't be able to see properly on a stage, the only one with an obvious shadow, the only one that is really confusing and the only one that is really obvious.

It may also be the only one which the Chinese aren't bothering to make a cheap copy of.

IMHO the illustration on the roller-blind suggests an arm reaching into the side of the box. That and the base design so similar to the sides pretty much leads to imagining the woman stepping sideways into the box and then sliding down into the base with her head and torso in n the upright section that does not move. Again, IMHO it seems to do exactly the opposite of what the Harbin zigzag design accomplished. :(

The sad thing in the Sumer Reloaded topic
that MAYBE you like the Sumer illusion too,
but you cannot say.
And the saddest in this story that you know this too,
I know this too and Everybody know who read this topic.

Nimrud:
Richard, whose forum this is, has made it clear on several occasions that he is not averse to uss discussing how a trick might be done.
So, don't feel we are picking on you; if you have a problem with the ethics, you shouldn't have invited comment here in the first place (and you invited comment by posting on a forum). So you are forced to try to use 'clouding' posts; which are as transparent as your illusion.
The problem you have is that the method is so obvious, everyone immediately jumped to the right method.
MAYBE you shouldn't have posted here.
MAYBE you shouldn't have released this illusion until you understood something about the art of illusion.